fame infamy
by bleuboxes
Summary: It's a good solid friendship, and an even better partnership - and Astraea really likes him. Too bad she can't tell him who she is; she's got a feeling that they'd really hit it off. [inhuman/vigilante!darcy au]


The nice thing about being what the kids are calling "inhuman" is that she's able to actually do something about the criminals littering the city. She's better able to protect herself and others – a real confidence booster, if you ask her.

She's just your regular Joe vigilante crime-fighter with killer curves and a killer smile (who also happens to pack one hell of a punch).

The citizens love her – she walks women home at night, protects the innocent from the dark that lurks around every street corner, beats the ever living shit out of would-be rapists, killers, kidnappers and anyone else who is trying to elicit some sort of harm onto another innocent being. They've given her a name (she's even got a token phrase) and tons of positive buzz – more than a woman could ever ask for.

So that's why she's a little mopey (and maybe nursing a bottle of tequila) when the Avengers publicly say they don't support what it is that she's doing.

They're all together – talking with someone from ABC News about how what she's doing is wrong.

It hurts.

She works with Jane Foster, who's bangin' Thor in their shared apartment in Tony Stark's tower, so by association, she has seen and at least made small talk with most of the Merry Band of Misfits. They're busy dealing with international (and/or intergalactic) conundrums and issues. And while she knows (and a fuck ton of other people know) that they are trying their best to look out for the little guy, the Avengers have too much on their hands to even give the little guy a second glance.

Well, Darcy Lewis is just a mere lab assistant who gets paid way too much to babysit scientists all day. If anyone is a fair enough candidate to look over a measly section of New York, it's Darcy.

So, she puts away her tequila and calls Jane, telling her that she isn't feeling the best (aka she won't be going out tonight), and curls up on her couch in attempt to get a little sleep before she goes out to patrol the city.

* * *

She's not sure if the Avengers' public condemnation of her actions have had an impact on the assholes of New York, but they've been acting super terribly lately. Nevertheless, she hasn't been discouraged from continuing her "activities"; she's using what she's been given to do what's right. The shitty people aren't going to stop being shitty just because Steve Rogers' said that what they're doing is wrong.

Darcy finds that actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words. So, she settles for shocking the shit out of the nasties. It's proves to be fairly effective.

She does agree that her methods aren't the most people-friendly, but they scare the right people, and it's universally known that fear is a tactic that often works when trying to get the upper hand.

Darcy finds it strange that fear and safety are synonymous with the name Astraea. It's the kind of feeling that really gets to a girl when it's three in the morning and she's sitting on the rooftop of some shitty warehouse looking for trouble.

It's been quiet tonight, not that she's complaining (quiet nights mean only good things and lord knows that does wonders to her mood), but she wants something to do.

That's when she hears the gunshots, maybe five blocks over. It's a "what the hell" kind of moment when she decides to go ever and get involved. Darcy flies herself over the buildings and lands towards the outskirts of a firefight between dudes in fucking HYDRA uniforms and Steve Fucking Rogers and his pal, Bucky Barnes.

While the two of them are being all Truth and Justice and like, 2005 Emo Phase in their fighting, Darcy decides that now is as good a time as ever to make her presence known.

She electrocutes the HYDRA lackey closest to her with a zap of electricity from her pointer finger.

It's enough to get the attention of the rest of the company. Needless to say, all parties involved look a little pissed off to see her. She grins.

"Hiya boys," she sing-songs as another HYDRA dude charges towards her, "Long time no see."

Steve might have said something, but Darcy doesn't hear it; she's a little occupied with dodging the butt of this guy's pistol. He misses – only barely – and Darcy is able to get in a kick to his kneecaps and a punch in the neck before she shocks the daylight out of him. Barnes is making short work of the men charging him, and Rogers' is playing ultimate frisbee with his shield in a weird fight sequence that she can't even begin to explain.

Within a few minutes, the HYDRA people are all very seriously maimed and on the ground. Steve Rogers is glaring daggers at her, and Bucky Barnes is smirking at her like he knows what's about to take place.

And then Steve starts approaching her – that's when she figures it's probably in her best interest to get the hell out of dodge before he like, brings her to Tony's tower for questioning. So, she makes a witty quip and soars three blocks over to the rooftop.

That's when she realizes that Captain America hates her and she sort of starts to freak out.

Not soon after that, Bucky Barnes shows up and her brain short-circuits.

"Look, dude, I'm just doing what I believe to be is my civic duty and if Captain Truth and Justice has an issue with that he can confront me about it himself. Not on national television. Not by way of HYDRA's most wanted – alright -," she huffs out, and kicks a broken piece of concrete, "so if you're here to chastise me on how I shouldn't be out here doing what I'm doing, fuck off."

"Doll," he grins lazily; Darcy wants to punch him in his perfect teeth, "that's the last thing I wanna do."

"Yeah, well, I got a city to look after, so if you're not gonna do shit, I'll be on my way."

"Stay outta Cap's way; I'll let him know that we wouldn't have made it out of there without your help, and that'll make him less likely to act his age, but it ain't gonna hold him for long."

"I'm just gonna keep doing what I'm doing, and if that bothers him so much," she smiles wickedly, "tell him to stop bashin' people's heads in with that metal frisbee; until then, local scum is gonna keep getting fried."

"I'll let him know."

"Now, if you'll excuse me."

If Barnes says anything else, she doesn't hear it. She's soaring away and hoping that running into Captain America and him is just one time thing.

(Spoiler alert: it isn't.)

* * *

"Jane, I told you, I tripped over my knitting basket. You know how clumsy I can be."

"Are you sure, 'cause it really looks like someone, like beat you up in a back alley or something."

"If I got beat up in a back alley, you'd be the first to know – _fuck_ – can you please get that thing to shut the hell up?"

"Darce, it's a radio."

"Yeah – I know, but it's spewing out music from like the dark part of the universe.

"It's country?"

"Exactly."

(Jane attempts to hit her with a screwdriver; she misses.)

* * *

As it turns out, Steve does several more interviews about how shitty of a person Astraea is, and why it's a citizens' civic duty to alert the community if she's spotted.

Needless to say, that message is _not_ very well received.

If anything, Astraea becomes more ruthless, crueler – and the people _love_ it.

She's supported by the majority of the police (even though they don't really like that she's leaving the criminals half dead for them), the common joe – mothers, fathers, young women and men. Many hate her too, but their spite just adds fuel to her fire.

More interviews from Steve happen, and more of her vigilantism happening.

And then Bucky Barnes shows up out of the blue and, again, her night goes to shit.

She's currently getting punched in the face by two muggers when he comes to the metaphorical rescue, and rips them off her, giving her a chance to find her bearings and taze the hell out of them with her appendages.

"Thanks, but I could have handled it."

"I'm sure you could have, doll."

"Your old-timey sensibility get in the way?"

Barnes grins. Darcy laughs despite herself.

"And they say chivalry is dead." She pauses, "What brings you 'round?"

"Steve."

"Did you tell him he's being an asshole? Cause he's givin' me a complex."

"You with a complex is cleanin' up this city, so yeah, I told him to stop bein' such a fuckin' dick, but he's stubborn."

"I've got a friend like that. 'Cept she's less aggressive about it, pulls out the eyes. Then you've just gotta tempt her with pop tarts."

"Might have to try that one."

"It's proven to be quite effective."

It's quiet, for a moment, then:

"You wanna go beat the shit outta someone?"

"Thought you'd never ask, _Astraea_." He smiles.

* * *

"What are you smiling about?"

"Science, my dear Janey – science."

"That's a load of complete bs and you and I both know it; you met someone."

"I did not. No. I don't go out; you know this Jane."

"I bet he's broody. _Is he broody_?"

Darcy grumbles.

"Is it even a guy?"

"Go back to work, Jane."

"I will get it out of you… after I finish this equation, but I will; do not doubt me."

"I don't."

* * *

She doesn't see Barnes for a while. She gets into a pattern, work, listen to Jane bitch about how Thor bitches to her about having to hear Steve bitch about Astraea, hear opinions about Astraea from her other co-workers (none of them too terrible), take a half-hour nap when she gets home to her apartment, grab her costume and wig and fight crime.

Then maybe sleep for three hours and show up to work late.

Life doesn't get much better.

It does, however, get worse.

She's made herself a target – a very big, bright, inhuman target – so now, there are SHEILD agents trying to recruit her, gangs and HYDRA trying to kill/capture her, and Jane trying to figure out who she met like, three months ago – even though that's old news.

Her and Barnes kick ass together every Thursday. She likes it – makes her feel like she's shoving a boot up Steve Roger's star-spangled ass.

It almost feels like she's back in high-school sneaking out to meet with her boyfriend.

Even though she's not seventeen, has freaky human-taser powers, and Barnes is not her boyfriend.

(Although, she wouldn't mind if he was; she's starting to harbor Feelings, and she's not sure how she feels about them.)

She and Barnes fight the baddies, flirt, and bitch about Steve.

It's a good, solid friendship, and even better partnership – and Astraea really, really likes him. He's (as her mother would say) the Bee's Knees – funny, attractive, attentive, and sweet (which is something she didn't see coming).

Too fucking bad she can't tell him who she is; she has a feeling they'd really hit it off.

* * *

"You're _her,_ aren't you?"

"Who, Jane? Please, elaborate?"

"You know, Astraea?"

"Pffft? Little ole me? I'm a human disaster, I'm not saving humans from disasters."

"Cut the shit, Darce. You owe me like seven margaritas and a large explanation. Also, I'm telling Thor."

Darcy lets out a string of noises not comprehensible in the English language.

* * *

So, Jane knows, and by default that means Thor knows, and the space Labrador is more than enthused to know that his "lightening sister" is actually his Lightening Sister. It's honestly pretty cute.

So cute that he decides to bring her and Jane lunch when they're super busy with Jane's latest breakthrough.

Decidedly, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, and who she thinks is Sam Wilson tag along.

This is not cute. This is an issue and Darcy might accidentally electrocute Steve if he becomes super asshole-ish and insults her alter ego, like he always does.

And he does. He goes off about how she's too violet, too brash, too everything that a "hero" shouldn't be. Except the people who agree with him about this (i.e. Tony and Vision) are not in the room, and Steve walks face first into a shit show curtisy of Jane.

Darcy thinks it's the most magical thing she's ever witnessed.

She's only ever seen Steve this angry on one occasion (that being when she first met him and Bucky Barnes in that alley all those months ago).

"I don't know, Stevie," says Bucky Barnes; Darcy looks at him, interested in what he has to say, "She kind of reminds me of you back in the day."

Steve looks appalled. She tries not to laugh (key word being tries).

"How?" he asks incredulously.

"She's reckless and won't go down without a fight; even when she does go down, she doesn't stay down – although she's a little better at kickin' ass than you were."

"Friend Steve," Thor cuts in, "Astraea is a friend of mine, and I think you are too quick to criticize. The city loves her."

"You know her" asks Barnes, a light lilt to his voice that the ordinary ear wouldn't be able to point out.

She spends enough time with him to know that there's something up – so does Steve, apparently.

"Yes."

"And that's it?"

"Yes, we get along quite well."

The conversation doesn't carry; Steve, Bucky, and Sam leave within five minutes.

Darcy sighs into her hands.

* * *

"It's Barnes."

"Goddammit, Jane – will you give it a rest?"

"No I can't. Wait a minute – he must fight with you – because there's no other reason that he would ask Thor about you."

"Or he's like _every other person in New York_ and wants to know who's underneath the wig."

"Every time you deny something I say, it turns out to be true, so I'm just going to go ahead and say that I'm right."

* * *

"You know Thor?" Barnes casually brings up while smashing some dude's head into a brick wall.

"Yes? I do? This isn't really that relevant right now?" she dodges some maniac with a baseball bat and shocks him in the ass. He falls into Barnes' arms and gets knocked the hell out.

"Yes?"

"Alright fine, yes. Thor and I are friends – he's more like my older brother, honestly."

"So you know Thor's girl? Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"And Jane's assistant – Darcy, maybe?"

"Darcy, yeah, we tease Jane all the fuckin' time. It's hilarious."

"Hmmm."

"I see those gears turning, Barnsey, what's happenin' up there."

"'M just thinking bout somethin' that Steve said."

"Everything Steve says about me is a load of shit, you know that."

"Yeah, I do." He sighs.

"I'm sensing a 'but" coming on." She prods. Barnes chuckles.

"But this thing – it makes sense, and I think he might be right." A smile blossoms, and Darcy's stomach drops.

"Sounds highly improbable –"

"That's why I got to do a little diggin' – test out his theory."

"And how's that going for you."

"So far so good. I'll let you know when I come to my conclusion."

Darcy grins as far as possible; she's sure Barnes can tell it's one-hundred percent not real.

"Sounds good."

They fly off to some other part of town where Darcy takes out her stress on more terrible people.

* * *

The week ends, other weeks come. Barnes continues to join her in her evening excursions around the city. Word is getting around that Astraea's got a pal, and it's fairly obvious that it's Barnes. Steve is pissed.

Hence, why Bucky Barnes is stuck sciencing with her and Jane (like he's on a time-out or something) for the next few weeks till Steve decides he's got his act together.

Which is a terrible, wonderful thing.

Wonderful, in the way that she gets to science and whine about Jane with a beautiful, buff, handsome man. Wonderful in the way that she can flirt with Bucky Barnes as Darcy Lewis, Intern Extraordinaire instead of as Astraea. Wonderful in the way the Bucky is kind and funny and that Darcy might just be the tiniest bit in love with him.

There is another side to this coin. She's very sure that Barnes is using her to figure out who Astraea is. She's very sure that he's going to not be very happy when he figures out that it's Darcy -his friend- that's the electric vigilante. She's very sure that she doesn't stand a chance with Barnes as Darcy Lewis because she's very sure he's taken with her alter ego.

 _How in the sweet hell is this her life_?

The how, she decides, doesn't matter. It is her life and she's going to have to deal with it.

So, as usual when Darcy is in a predicament, she confides in Jane.

As you can guess, the astrophysicist should stick to astrophysics and should not be allowed anywhere remotely close to Darcy's internal (and low-key external) conflicts.

The conversation about her conflict happens on a Wednesday afternoon and it goes about as well as to be expected.

"You gotta tell him, Darce."

"I know, but I can't just bring it up in casual conversation."

"Uh, yeah. You can. It's definitely not going to be the weirdest thing he's ever heard."

"But it's gonna be the strangest conversation I've ever had."

"That seems fake; you forget that I've heard about you having to explain what a tampon is to Thor."

"That wasn't so much strange as it was just plain funny. It's not like 'Oh hey, Barnes, Astraea is actually me – the annoying intern that wrangles scientists all day.' is something that you can just, like, lead into."

"Seems to have worked just fine."

"What the ever-loving fuck do you mean by that?"

"I mean that he's like right behind me, Darce, that's what I mean." Jane whisper-yells.

" _God-fucking-dammit_."

"Your tellin' me, sweetheart."

Darcy turns around – lo and behold Barnes in all of his glory. Jane bolts out of the lab faster than you can say Thor.

The conversation between her and Barnes goes better than the conversation between her and Jane.

It goes something like:

"I knew she was you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you don't disguise your voice at all."

"It was my hatred for Steve's bullshit opinions, right?"

Barnes smiles, "Right."

And then there's some heartfelt chat about feelings.

"You must hate me for not telling you this –"

"Doll, don't think I could hate you if I tried."

"Wow, I was not expecting that."

Barnes' laughs again and Darcy's stomach flips.

"I was tryin' to figure out so that I could woo you properly; bashin' heads isn't a courting ritual my mother would approve of."

"I'm sorry what?"

"I like you."

"You like _Astraea_." Darcy laughs emotionlessly.

"I like _you,"_ Bucky elaborates, "And you happen to be a woman named Darcy -who I've grown to adore and not just during your night job." Darcy blushes, "Astraea is you, a dangerous part of you, but you're still Darcy. You're still the same girl I looked at from across the lab when Tony was working on my arm. You're still the same girl that calls Steve out on his bs when he's talking shit about you."

Darcy, at this point, is a little bit taken aback by Bucky Barnes' revelation, and in ill attempt to get him to shut the hell up – she flies off to her apartment.

Which leads her to her present predicament, involving a certain man being one certain chair in her apartment.

Darcy's just come out of her room after taking a nice nap; she attempted to sleep off her panic (which did not work, at all).

She's glad she decided to put on a shirt on her trip to the kitchen though; she would have been mortified if he'd seen her topless (with her heair a mess and just not a pretty sight). She does jump a little higher than she should when she first sees him, though.

"What are you doing here?"

"You kinda left me hangin back there, Darce."

She tries to smile, but it comes out as more of a confused grimace, "Sorry."

"'s alright, doll; just want to make sure I'm not readin' something that isn't there."

"Care to elaborate?"

"You gonna make me spell it out?"

"Oh yeah, buddy, Astraea's all about makin' people suffer." She giggles. Bucky's grin grows into a panty dropping one. If she's not careful he's going to "elaborate" his way into her bed (he's already situated himself into her heart.)

He stands up and struts over to her. Darcy gulps and turns a bright shade of pink.

They're face to face; Bucky's eyes are bright with something that she isn't sure how to describe.

"Get talking, Bucky." She whispers.

There isn't much talking that gets done (and Darcy decides there's no harm in being careless for the night.)

Except, it's not just that night. The next morning, Bucky makes her pancakes in his underwear, he visits her at work, he gets lunch with her, he holds her hand, kisses her cheek, flirts, laughs, and he does a bunch of other things that are not One Night Stand type things.

And he joins her that night (beating up thugs and in bed. What a fuckin' babe).

* * *

Bucky sticks with her not only for the next day, but for the next week. A week turns into many weeks, and many weeks turn into months, and before you know it, it's in the Daily Bugle that Astraea's got a golden boy.

And that's after the whole of Tony's tower becomes aware that her and Bucky are an item.

However, the Daily Bugle's known quite well around the tower (Darcy always enjoys their articles about Spider Man), and before she knows it, Steve Rogers is banging on her apartment door at three o'clock in the morning, her and Bucky freshly returned from their night shift.

She's still in her gear, and she answers the door to find none other than Captain America with an Edible Arrangement.

She takes it, gives Steve an 'apology accepted' hug (even though he has a lot more to make up for), and watches as Bucky politely shoves the door in his face.

It's not long before Steve lets it slip that she's the human equivalent of a taser, and she can't really find it in herself to care that her secrets out with Bucky's arm draped across her shoulders. So instead of freaking the hell out, she makes a funny remark and kisses her boyfriend on the cheek.

(Someone's gotta keep his ass safe, might as well be Darcy.)

* * *

 **whoop whoop this is old but i never got around to posting it so you're welcome?**

 **reviews/favorites are the bee's knees.**


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